Thread on the @AOC, the Israeli peace camp, and Rabin: It's essential to consider the hysteria from Israeli liberals here for what it is: the inability to take responsibility for the maintenance of their regime of domination over Palestinians. /1

The peace process Rabin spearheaded only continued the entrenchment of the occupation and repression of Palestinians. That Rabin was assassinated for a shift in his rhetoric says more about Israel's imploding societal unity than Rabin's desire for genuine and equitable peace. /2

I don't recall Rabin ever apologizing or even acknowledging the severity of his brutal behavior in crushing the First Intifada, which is now recognized as a model of popular non-violent resistance to Israel's military occupation. /3

Israelis are understandably terrified of this discourse breaking through the carefully guarded barriers of the Israel debate in America, and that's why @AOC touched a nerve. /4

There's also the issue of cognitive dissonance about the exact nature of Israel's control over Palestinians. This piece from 2011 dives into that thread deeper. /5 https://forward.com/opinion/138343/the-no-longer-temporary-occupation/

There is nothing that Israeli liberals hate more than having to confront their role in the domination of Palestinians. It's easy to dismiss the settlers as crazy but challenging to acknowledge the fact that you send your children to protect and enable the "crazy" settlers. /6

TL;DR Israeli liberals don’t think of themselves as colonialists despite all evidence to the contrary. This whole episode forces them to confront this uncomfortable reality.